1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data distribution apparatus, a computer program product for data distribution, and a method for data distribution, that allow distribution of video data to a receiving terminal for a Video on Demand (VOD) service.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wide-spreading use of broadband is accompanied by an increasing popularity in Video on Demand (VOD) service, which is a video distribution service that realizes real-time distribution of video content such as a movie in response to a request from a user over an internet network that operates based on Internet Protocol (IP) (see, for example, Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Opens Nos. H07-107066 and H10-336625).
In recent years, some commercially available television terminals come to be equipped with a VOD function to allow users to enjoy the VOD services. On the other hand, some electronic appliances other than the television terminals are also developed mainly for allowing the user to enjoy audio and video contents provided through analog broadcasting, digital terrestrial broadcasting or the like. One of such appliances is a high-resolution Audio Video Personal Computer (AV-PC). Meanwhile, in Japan, the analog broadcasting is scheduled to be ceased in the year 2011. A ministry considers introducing an IP retransmission of the contents transmitted via digital terrestrial broadcasting for regions where the reception of digital terrestrial broadcasting is difficult. Empirical experiments are also started with television terminals which can receive digital terrestrial broadcasting via IP connection.
In general, data transfer of video data such as MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) data takes more time compared with data transfer of text data such as advertisement data. Therefore, when a user desires to watch a movie or the like on the TV terminal, the AV-PC, and the like, using a VOD service, and selects the movie from a top page (for example, Electronic Program Guide (EPG)) of the VOD service, it takes several tens of seconds to acquire the selected movie from a server of a VOD service provider. That is to say, the movie cannot be played instantaneously when the user gives an instruction to play the movie. During the several tens of seconds, a player section that presents the video is kept in a blackout state (a state in which the display shows nothing, thus having a black display). Similarly, when the user watches TV broadcasting on the AV-PC or the like, the player section is kept in the blackout state until the user selects TV broadcasting or a program recorded in the past.
On the other hand, a normal TV broadcasting does not cause the blackout state described above, and a Commercial Message (CM) is broadcasted and the CM video is displayed on the player section while the program is not played. Further, when people watch a movie in a theater, an image such as a movie preview or a cautionary notice for the audience is showed on a screen before a main movie starts so that there is at least something displayed on a screen.
Thus, when the user receives the VOD service by the TV terminal, the AV-PC, or the like, he/she has to wait until a selected video is displayed on the player, watching the player in the blackout state. If the blackout state continues for a while, the user starts to feel stressed since he/she cannot know whether the processing is simply slow or frozen. Therefore the user of the VOD service feels more stressed compared with those who watch the movie in the theater or watch TV broadcasting.
Further, an advertisement presentation such as a banner advertisement is standardized in the VOD service, and the advertisement presentation cannot be changed according to a setting by a user or by a viewing state.
On the other hand, an audience in a movie theater can recognize that the main movie is about to begin since a layout of the movie screen gradually changes while a movie preview or a cautionary notice is shown before the main movie begins. For example, the movie screen gets wider horizontally before the main movie begins.
Though the TV terminal, the AV-PC, or the like comes to achieve higher resolution and be equipped with a larger display, a size of the player cannot be changed depending on the content of presented information and the contents of presented information cannot be changed flexibly in the VOD service. Therefore, realistic sensation, which can be obtained in movie viewing in the movie theater, cannot be realized sufficiently